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Fans gathered together in a parking lot outside of a stadium before a game or concert while they grill, drink and party is as American as the hotdogs and Budweiser the tailgaters are likely partaking in. It’s also a vision many seem to have when it comes to planning for the 2026 World Cup in North Texas, but thanks to conflicting reports, it’s hard to know if that vision can become a reality this summer in Arlington.
On Wednesday, a vague Fox 4 report stated that the Arlington City Council “clarified its tailgating policy for matches at AT&T stadium” by further reporting that the Council declared that tailgating will not be allowed in official AT&T Stadium parking lots, but that people can conduct tailgating activities in private parking lots.
Because that goes against what the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee (NTFWC) told us not too long ago, we gave the committee a call on Thursday. We also called the city of Arlington to clarify what Fax 4 said was the city’s clarification, which was far from clear.
After reading the Fox 4 report, an Arlington city spokesperson told us on Thursday morning that they weren’t quite sure where that information came from. They added that the city does not have any tailgating policies and that the city does not manage AT&T Stadium’s parking lots.
They offered that there may be a bit of confusion involved in that rather than prohibiting tailgating, the issue is more of availability. Beginning this week, FIFA is constructing a number of installations, structures and attractions in the official stadium parking lots, and the amount of spaces available to fans for parking or tailgating purposes will be greatly limited when compared to the typical Cowboys game or concert.
Also on Thursday morning, a rep from the NTFWC repeated the statement they provided us a few weeks ago, that indeed mentions how the “parking operations will differ from standard NFL game days, which will potentially affect parking near the venue,” and that “tailgating (eating and drinking around parked cars in stadium areas) will have a slightly different feel.”
While FIFA has not prohibited tailgating at any of the North American host venues this year, some locations have taken that step, such as MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the World Cup final is set to be played. Adding to the confusion are the recent frustrations expressed by the public and some city and county governments across the country over high ticket prices, budget concerns and incidents such as last week’s destruction of the massive “Whaling Wall 82” mural in downtown Dallas, which is now slated to have a mural commemorating the 2026 World Cup.
The NTFWC rep explained to us that they see tailgating as more of an American pastime than it is for many visitors coming from outside of the U.S. and that the bars and restaurants surrounding AT&T Stadium is likely where the pre- and post-match action will be for those who will want to hoist a pint or two. In short, there may be many other World Cup-related items to worry about, but whether or not you can tailgate in Arlington should not be one of them.
